Northern Spain

[Mutt]

Hi,

I'm tempted to get the ferry from Portsmouth to Santander / Bilbao in May. I will be taking my Boxster and the new wife!

Does anyone have any suggestions for where to go? Which cities are must see? Any decent roads? Anything really; if you've done something interesting in Northern Spain tell me! I'm happy to drive for a couple of hours every few days, but don't want to do huge mileages. It'd be nice to end up in or near Barcelona and hoon it back for the return crossing, but other than that I have no ideas at all.

Open to suggestions for accomodation also. Not too tempted by camping if I'm honest.

I should say this will be our honeymoon, of sorts, if you could bear that in mind it'd be handy

Over to you!

Cheers,
Chris

[Incredible Sulk]

Well if you turn right when you get off the ferry, you get to Asturias. Nice mountains, some nice bits of coast, and good food. A bit further right and you get to Galicia. Good food, especially Octopus and Oysters.

Do a Google.

At the risk of being flamed, there are things to see if you head from Santander towards Barcelona, but it's a fair old way, and it isn't going to be as 'nice' as Asturias and Galicia. IMHO. Unless you take a detour into the Pyrenees. I'm married to a Spanish lady who hails from Zaragoza which is about halfway between Bilbao and Barcelona, and take it from me, although it has a lot to recommend it, it isn't exactly a tourist destination.

[Puggit]

I have a Spanish friend from Asturias, and to my constant shame we haven't visited. He swears it is heaven on Earth.

If the cuisine there is like our local Spanish restaurant (run by Asturians) - you're in for a treat! (squid cooked in ale anyone?)

[Don]

Right. I've been there and done that in my 986 Boxster S. Ferry from Portsmouth to Bilbao - drive a loop through Northern Spain - then back on the Ferry and home.

I have lots of advice:

For a start you need to know about the Parador chain of hotels. If this is a "honeymoon" you'll want nice hotels and Parador is how to get them. Parador used to be owned by the Spanish government and is a weird cross between the National Trust and Hilton. They "save" medieval properties by turning them into hotels...like this one in Santillana de Mar:



Fab.

Parador


Secondly if you go on the ferry pay the extra and get the best cabin you can afford. The Ferry was something like £700 with nothing and £950 with a tip top cab for the three nights. Trust me - this "luxury" is actually worth it as it means you can get away from everyone else and have a peaceful trip. In a proper double bed. On your honeymoon. With no-one else there. See where I am going with this?????

We thought the following places worth visiting:

Santillana del Mar - stay at the Parador Gil Blas
The Picos de Europa - stay at the Parador de Fuente De
Rioja (for wine and food)
The Parador at Cervera de Pisuerga is ace - but get a lake view room. The drive from the Picos to get to it is fantastic.

I also know a self-catering place (that the missus could remind the name of) if you need to throttle back on the budget. Run by an English couple, quiet and remote near the Picos.

If you visit the Picos you simply MUST go up the cable car and take a walk at the top.

[Incredible Sulk]

That's a good recommendation re the Paradores. You used to be able to buy a sort of season ticket type thingy that worked out a bit cheaper than paying night by night. I don't know if they still do them, but if they do..........

If you get to Galicia (and you haven't said how long you want to go for) you have to go to Santiago de Compostela, which marks the end of the Pilgrims trail, the "Camino de Santiago'.

[Mutt]

Fantastic guys and a special thanks Don. Keep it coming!

Will be staying for around 10 days. Budget isn't an issue (well, you know, within reason). Are there any nice beaches or coastal towns? Yes I realise at the start of May it might not quite be swimming in the Atlantic weather...

I will check again over the weekend, but for now the motorway waits as further wedding plan oop North is required!


Chris

[Kneetrembler]

Incredible Sulk said:

Well if you turn right when you get off the ferry, you get to Asturias. Nice mountains, some nice bits of coast, and good food. A bit further right and you get to Galicia. Good food, especially Octopus and Oysters.

Do a Google.

At the risk of being flamed, there are things to see if you head from Santander towards Barcelona, but it's a fair old way, and it isn't going to be as 'nice' as Asturias and Galicia. IMHO. Unless you take a detour into the Pyrenees. I'm married to a Spanish lady who hails from Zaragoza which is about halfway between Bilbao and Barcelona, and take it from me, although it has a lot to recommend it, it isn't exactly a tourist destination.

I lived in Galicia for 5 years and out of the last 20 years living in Spain this for me is the very best there is for both food & wine especially if you like fish & shellfish as Galicia has the very best.

The whole of the North coast is excellent and if I was you as has already been said I wouldn't go rushing across to get to Barcelona as this part of Spain is really picturesque.
There are Paradors right across and in Galicia there is one in Ferrol with views over the Ria right in the Casco Vieja, 1 in Pontevedra which is nice,1 in Santiago de Compostella fantastic history with the Camino de Santiago de Compostella, 1 in Baiona which is excellent and is right out on a prometary with views over all the Ria this one is really special,we used to go and stay there for many weekends and just a short walk down into Baiona Casco Viaja and all it's fish/shellfish restaurants and marina/harbour.
Gijon in Asturias has a lovely Parador set in an old Water Mill.

So many places to see and so little time, but do not rush take your time and even come back again.

The other spectacular place that I always make a bee line for if I am up near Santander is to go to San Sebastian which is that you turn right out of the Port at Santander and then drive for 2 hours, but it is a fantastic place, there are no Paradors there but there are some fantastic hotels in particular a very good chain to use in Spain is the NH Hotels, and there is one in San Sebastian.
In the evening you must go to the Casco Vieja about 7.30pm when all the tapas bars are opening up, they are called Pinchos in this part of Spain, San Sebastian has the very best Tapas Bars in the whole of Spain there are no others anywhere that can compete and you must take a camera with you, there are streets and streets of them and all packed together next to each other.

The list is endless, but if you like shellfish at its best then the North Coast is for you and the Albarino wines to die for.

[Don]

Mutt said:

a special thanks Don. Keep it coming!

I'll try and dig up where we went and what was special over the weekend.

I can guess on a honeymoon sight-seeing and special views and places to stay may be more important than the finest alpine meadow walking (we have done both in Northern Spain) soI'll try and pass on what we can.

As to driving? Remember what the UK was like 20 years ago? That's what it's like. i.e. Excellent!

You'll love taking the Boxster around.

But BE WARNED. Do not park on the street. The Spanish touch-park and you do not want this happening to your pride and joy. Park in car parks wherever possible. They simply do not understand the British pride in vechicles AT ALL. Take this into account and it's no problem - forget this and you'll be replacing both bumpers on your return...

[Incredible Sulk]

Don said:

But BE WARNED. Do not park on the street. The Spanish touch-park and you do not want this happening to your pride and joy. Park in car parks wherever possible. They simply do not understand the British pride in vechicles AT ALL. Take this into account and it's no problem - forget this and you'll be replacing both bumpers on your return...

IME car parks are just as bad. You end up with door dings instead of bumper scuffs. Although many Spaniards do touch park, they tend to do it gently, and I've found that most of the scuffs would just polish out. If I could be bothered to do it. Because it just happens again. But you are right that most Spaniards have a different attitude to cars. My family in law think I'm completely bananas when it comes to looking after my cars.

[rsv gone!]

This hotel is lovely;

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&amp...

Monasterio de Boltano (sp?)

And the A138 to/from Ainsa is fantastic. Miles of smooth, flowing roads.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&amp...

[Kneetrembler]

A couple of other things unless you have to don't eat lunch or dinner in the Paradors they are never good and there are always better restaurants close by.

In the Basque country San Sebastian there are some of Spains finest notable restaurants,such as Restaurant Arzak owned and run by the world famous chef "Juan Mari Arzak 3* Michelin
Restaurant Martin Berasategui again 3* Michelin
There are 8 Michelin * Restaurants in San Sebastian
Check out www.euroresidentes.com/euroresiuk/spanish_restaura...

Bilbao has the famous Guggenheim Museum to see.

The Picos de Europa have some great driving roads and a good Parador there as well for an overnight stop.
In Asturias you must stop at a very small village on the coast called CUDILLERO, very picturesque very much reminds me of Cornwall with a nice beach.
This top part of Spain is renowned for having some of its finest beaches.

Depending on which fery you use, the P&O Ferry Portsmouth to Bilbao is very tired these days and the service is not going to run after this September.
The Ferry run by Brittany Ferries which runs alternately from Portsmouth to Santander or Plymouth to Santander is by far the better ferry these days, both accomadation wise and restaurant/food wise.

You now have fabulous Autovias connecting the whole of the North coast from the french border right the way across the top through San Sebastian,Bilbao,Santander,Gijon across Asturias and on to Galicia, if you wish to stay running along the coast just past Ribadeo you have to bear off to the right and follow the signs for FOZ & BURELA,at this point you are then onto the normal N roads.This road is an excellent road for driving on as it is very hilly with sweeping bends and tight corners but with fantastic views for the passenger.

The first Ria you will come across is at ORTIGUERA, then CEDEIRA which is famous for its PERCEBES a type of Barnacle which grows on the rocks and makes a lot of money at the markets, after that it is Ferrol,across the Ria is a village called MUGARDOS where all they sell in the tapas bars are variations on what you can do with Octopus, next is La Coruna which is a lovely city no Parador but there is a very good SOL hotel there called THE BAHIA which has views over the bay and a huge promenade in front for walking and a tram service.After that it is down to Santiago either via the Autovia or following the coast around the windy coast which will take quite a while on normal roads.
The good thing about driving in this part of Spain as has been said before is that you will have the roads to yourself.


If there is anything that you wish to know about any particular place on the coast of Galicia pm or e-mail me and I will get back to you.